Brazil Retail

Brazil: Retail sales gain pace in April

June 14, 2012

In April, retail sales (excluding cars and construction) rose 0.8% over the previous month in seasonally adjusted terms. The reading was above the 0.3% increase observed in March but was below market expectations of a 1.4% rise. On an annual basis, retail sales expanded 6.0% in April, below both the 12.5% rise in March and market expectations of a 7.5% increase. Among the eight categories that compose the narrow retail sales index, six increased over the previous month. Most notably, sales in the fuels and lubricants category recorded the largest increase over the previous month. Meanwhile, the broad retail sales index, which includes automobiles and construction materials, rose 0.7% over the previous month. Annual average growth in retail sales edged down from 7.5% in March to 7.2% in April.

Author:,

Sample Report

Looking for forecasts related to Retail in Brazil? Download a sample report now.

At its 6 December meeting, the Central Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (COPOM, Comité de Politica Monetaria) decided to cut the benchmark SELIC interest rate by 50 basis points, a smaller cut than at its previous meeting.